While many people see cancer as a curse to be endured, the Christian must see it as a gift from God designed to grow our faith and glorify Him. Thinking about cancer (or any of life’s struggles) this way isn’t natural or easy, but it is right and good.
In 2006 a well-known Baptist pastor named John Piper was diagnosed with prostate cancer. One of Piper’s books (a book, in fact, that the youth of our church are currently studying) is called “Don’t Waste Your Life.” It is about living our lives for the glory of God, rather than “wasting” our lives on selfish, worldly, or meaningless pursuits. On the eve of his prostate surgery, John Piper wrote an article entitled, “Don’t Waste Your Cancer,” in which he gives a list of ten ways cancer can be “wasted.” Piper argues that the Christian can “waste” their cancer if they do not understand it for what it is (a gift designed for you by God) and if you and others do not grow from it spiritually. Here is his list of the ten ways a Christian can “waste” their cancer:
1. You will waste your cancer if you do not believe it is designed for you by God.
2. You will waste your cancer if you believe it is a curse and not a gift.
3. You will waste your cancer if you seek comfort from your odds rather than from God.
4. You will waste your cancer if you refuse to think about death.
5. You will waste your cancer if you think that “beating” cancer means staying alive rather than cherishing Christ.
6. You will waste your cancer if you spend too much time reading about cancer and not enough time reading about God.
7. You will waste your cancer if you let it drive you into solitude instead of deepen your relationships with manifest affection.
8. You will waste your cancer if you grieve as those who have no hope.
9. You will waste your cancer if you treat sin as casually as before.
10. You will waste your cancer if you fail to use it as a means of witness to the truth and glory of Christ.
As Erin begins her journey through breast cancer, my great hope and prayer is that she would not “waste” her cancer. Knowing the maturity of her faith and the resilience of her character, I do not think she will waste her cancer. But there are many hard days before her and Satan would love nothing more than for her cancer to fracture her faith and weaken her witness. So if you are wondering how you can pray for Erin today – as she stands at the beginning of her journey through cancer – perhaps you could pray these things for her:
1. O God, help Erin to believe her cancer is designed for her by You.
2. O God, help Erin to believe her cancer is a gift, not a curse.
3. O God, help Erin to seek comfort from You rather than from her odds.
4. O God, help Erin to think about death.
5. O God, help Erin to “beat” her cancer by cherishing Christ, not simply by staying alive.
6. O God, help Erin to spend more time reading about You than reading about cancer.
7. O God, help Erin to deepen her relationships during this time rather than be driven into solitude.
8. O God, help Erin to grieve as one with hope in You.
9. O God, help Erin to treat her sin less casually than she did before.
10. O God, help Erin to use her cancer as a means of witness to the truth and glory of Christ.
Amen.
